The technology needs of an industry evolve and mature unevenly — in the early years, companies replace technology frequently to scale in step with organic growth. As the industry matures, it reaches a leveling-off point where the need to gain and retain competitive advantage demands a more reasoned evolution of processes, culture, and technology. Information technology has reached this inflection point, and CIOs must recognize that modernization by means of technology replacement is no longer a foregone conclusion — rather, it is one of many options on the application management continuum.